1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water filtering and dispensing system, more specifically, to a system for filtering, storing, dispensing, and testing water.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, portable water filtering systems include a container for holding filtered water. Here, the unfiltered water is provided into an upper reservoir disposed within an upper region of the container and flows through a water filter by the force of gravity into a lower region of the container. Usually, the rate of flow of unfiltered water through the water filter is relatively slow compared to the process of filling the upper reservoir with unfiltered water. For example, a user usually fills the upper reservoir with plain tap water from a tap, i.e., kitchen faucet, and waits for the plain tap water to completely flow through the filter and collect in a lower region of the container. In many instances, the total time to filter all of the plain tap water from the filled upper reservoir into the lower region of the container may take at least a few minutes. During such time, the user is prevented from dispensing the filtered water for consumption. Specifically, the user is prevented from dispensing the newly filtered water as it is being filtered, as well as any previously filtered water that may have been presented in the lower region of the container prior to the newly initiated filtering process.
However, sometimes a user may attempt to dispense small amounts of the newly filtered water, or previously filtered water, while the filtering process is ongoing by gently tipping the container. This usually results in transferring some the plain tap water held in the upper reservoir into the filtered water collected/stored in the lower region of the container. Accordingly, this transfer results in contamination of the filtered water with the plain tap water, thereby defeating the purpose of filtering the water. Thus, a system is needed that allows a user to immediately begin consuming the filtered water, or previously filtered water, without the possibility of contamination of the filtered water with the plain tap water.
Presently, most users of portable water filtering systems place the container holding the filtered water into a refrigerator in order to maintain the filtered water at a cool temperature. Accordingly, the user will store the portable water filtering system in the refrigerator and remove the entire system to dispense the filtered water into a cup or glass for consumption. Then, the user will return the system back into the refrigerator until the next sequence of dispensing the filtered water. Additionally, the user will periodically refill the upper reservoir with additional plain tap water to resupply the system with newly filtered water. However, as most users know, the repeated removal of the system from the refrigerator usually results in minor water spills from dispensing region of the system, as well as collisions with other items stored within the refrigerator. Accordingly, a system is needed that allows a user to easily dispense filtered water from the container without removing the system from the refrigerator.
In general, portable water filtering systems are used to remove various substances inherently included in publicly available water supplies in order to provide “purified” water for consumption. For example, most off-the-shelf portable water filtering systems include filters that remove harmful dissolved chemical compounds, but do little to remove dissolved solids. Moreover, these systems fail to provide an actual analytic measurement of the filtering efficiency of the filter to indicate to the user that the filter needs changing. In many instances, the manufacturers of these systems calculate a useable lifetime for the filter based upon an estimated usage by the user. Here, the consumer is either provided with some type of visual indicator, such as a date label applied to the exterior of the container, or finds out that the filter needs changing when the taste of the filtered water is unacceptable. In the former case, the consumer may unnecessarily replace the filter too soon before it becomes ineffective in filtering the water. In the later case, the user is subjected to a rather unpleasant experience at a time when the user would like to drink filtered water. In either case, the consumer is never provided with a real-time indication that the filter needs to be replaced. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a user with a system for filtering, storing, delivering, and testing water.
Moreover, the quality of filtration generally deteriorates over the life of the filter. To ensure filter life remains at an effective level, most filtration systems rely on a gallon counter or a mechanical or digital calendar system to measure filter life. These types of gauges of filter life do not provide any sort of accurate measure of the actual quality of the water leaving the filter. Thus, there is also a need for a water filtration system that allows users to accurately test the quality of the effluent of the filter.